


Cigarette Break

by thankyouturtle



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU - Comicverse
Genre: Alternate Universe, Brotherhood, Community: au_bingo, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-28
Updated: 2010-06-28
Packaged: 2017-10-10 07:45:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/97325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thankyouturtle/pseuds/thankyouturtle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Between fights, Jason starts thinking about growing up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cigarette Break

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt "Alternate History: Personal life of a character changed".

In the end, Robin and Nightwing took down half the gang each. It was Robin’s suggestion that they leave them in front of the police station pantsless, though.

“I hate drug pushers,” he said viciously, when he and Nightwing had returned to Robin’s favorite rooftop perch. “They’re worse than murderers. At least if you murder someone they’re dead.” Nightwing made no reply, although his mouth took on a disapproving turn when Robin pulled a cigarette and lighter out of his utility belt.

“I thought you were quitting?”

“Jesus, Dick, you’ve gotta let me have _one_ vice. I’d go fucking nuts if I had to be as straight-edge as you are. Dad’s on my case about it enough as it is. It’s like he thinks I’m a fucking kid still.”

Dick nodded. “That’s why I came to see you, really.”

“What, checking up on me? Not enough to keep you busy in Bludhaven?” Robin – Jason – blew a smoke ring, with some satisfaction. He’d been practising that.

“No, not that. I mean the growing up part. You know why I became Nightwing, right?”

“Got sick of fighting in your underwear?” Jason suggested. Dick punched his arm, lightly.

“Got sick of not being my own person,” he corrected him. “It wasn’t exactly easy, but – Jay, you don’t want to be Batman’s sidekick forever, do you?”

Jason didn’t say anything, but took another puff on his cigarette, breathing the smoke out slowly, staring ahead. “I thought he already had a new sidekick,” he said, at last. He gestured out across the skyline, and Dick followed his gaze to where a small figure in black was fighting what was easily a dozen men.

“Batgirl? No. Batgirl’s never been about replacing Robin.”

“What about a replacement for a son?” Jason asked, bitterly. “I guess daughters are less trouble.” He lapsed into silence again, glaring out to where she was still battling below – although there were only ten combatants left now. Neither of them suggested launching out to help her. They both knew she was capable of looking after herself.

Dick wondered what he would have done, if Jason had turned up in Bruce’s life before he’d had the chance to be out on his own. Would he have felt jealous? Felt like Bruce was abandoning him? It was impossibly to know. He’d been more generous, happier, even, than Jay was, but he’d craved their father’s approval just as much as his brother did.

“Cassandra doesn’t have anyone else,” he said, because it was the only thing he could think of to say. “Bruce is all she’s got.”

“Bruce is all we’ve got,” Jay shot back, but Dick shook his head.

“No. We’ve got each other, too.”

If anyone else had said it, Jason would have punched them, but with Dick – he actually meant it. He was so earnest that Jason could have laughed at him, except for the part where earnestness worked, for Dick.

His cigarette was almost down to the filter. He dropped it on to the concrete and ground it beneath his foot. “So who would you pick as Robin the Third?” he asked. “Hypothetically.”

“Another Robin? I don’t know.” Dick turned so his back was to the cityscape, resting his elbows against the broken balustrade. “There’s a kid who’s been helping me out in Bludhaven. He’s pretty good – at fighting, but at strategy, too. With Batman training him he could be amazing.”

“You’re so conservative,” Jason teased. “I know a girl who’d cream her panties at the thought of getting to hang out with Dad. Bit of a wildcat though.”

“God, Jay, that’s a terrible expression.” Dick made an attempt to sound scandalized, but it wasn’t like he hadn’t heard worse, hanging out with Arsenal. “Anyway – hypothetically – you’d need to work out whether you even want to quit. You don’t have to, you know, it’s just…”

“I know,” Jay said quietly. “You’re looking out for me. And I can’t stay a kid forever.” In the city below, Batgirl had taken down the last of her opponents, and was rifling through their pockets. His attention drifted; further out, red lights were flashing. A siren wailed, in the distance; in the street below, someone screamed.

Dick nudged him, and gestured down. Jason gave a short, sharp nod. They both leapt.


End file.
